This HOWTO will teach you how to install a Volito2 tablet on Gentoo Linux.
You can apply it to other Wacom tablets, too (Graphire 4 and Intuous 3 has been reported to work smoothly), but since I don't own them, the kind of support I can provide for them is limited.

Please read this HOWTO to the end before you start.

Changelog2008-01-26 linux-2.6.24, in-portage linuxwacom. general cleanup.
2007-11-01 better linuxwacom-0.7.8-p3 ebuild supporting older kernel versions
2007-10-24 support for linux-2.6.22, linuxwacom-0.7.8_p3 and a fix in the dbus config
2007-07-29 updated for linux-2.6.22, xorg-x11-7.2 and linuxwacom-0.7.8_p2
2007-03-01 added a Xorg.conf note for tablets different than Volito2. added a partial workaround for mouse not working in Gimp.
2007-01-10 kernel module actually has to be built inside the kernel in order to be replaced
2006-11-15 minor fixes (thanks to furanku)
2006-11-13 support for linuxwacom 0.7.6, linux 2.6.18, x.org 7.1. More troubleshooting.
2006-01-30 various fixes (thanks to dufeu)
2006-01-23 updated for linux-2.6.15 and linuxwacom-0.7.2. No need for kernel patches and custom ebuilds anymore!
2005-11-29 added udev rule; removed cursor and eraser; updated troubleshooting.
2005-11-14 updated for linux-2.6.14
2005-08-09 updated for linux-2.6.13 and linuxwacom-0.7.0

You'll need:

A Volito2 tablet. This HOWTO should work for other Wacom tablets, too, but since I don't have them, I can't support them (you may find more info on the linuxwacom homepage).

An x86 or amd64 PC. While it should work on other architectures, compatibility is unknown (you may find more info on the linuxwacom homepage).

Gentoo Linux. You can use other linux distributions, too, but obviously you'll have to compile the package manually.

udev. I don't know what would happen with devfs, nor with a static /dev tree.

Compatible gentoo-sources or vanilla-sources:

2.6.17 or earlier: won't work.

2.6.18 through 2.6.23: the module provided by the kernel is outdated and you'll probably have to build it from the linuxwacom package. You'll need the 2007-11-01 ebuild by antonmx from bugzilla. Generally, updating to linux-2.6.24 is a lot easier.

2.6.24: No problems at all. Works out of the box with the linuxwacom ebuild from portage.

Compatibility with other kernel patchsets (-mm, -ck etc.) is unknown.

Already know how to use portage.

Already know how to configure and compile a kernel.

Have and already working xorg-x11, version 7.1 or 7.2. It SHOULD work with 7.0, too, but please consider upgrading to 7.2 before reporting issues. Compatibility problems have been reported with 7.3, but you're encouraged to test it (as they may have been fixed by the time you're reading this).
If you're using X 6.x, you really, really, really should upgrade.

Step-by-step tutorial:

1) configure your kernel
# cd /usr/src/linux
# make menuconfig

2) the following options must be configured:
If you're using linux-2.6.22 or later:
AS BUILT-IN: Device Drivers -> Input device support -> Event Interface
AS BUILT-IN: Device Drivers -> HID Devices -> USB Human Interface Device (full HID) support
AS MODULE*: Device Drivers -> Input device support -> Tablets -> Wacom Intuos/Graphire tablet support
*only if you want to build an external module. If you're using 2.6.24, you can choose "BUILT-IN" here.

9) Start X.org. Both the tablet and the mouse should work. The tablet positioning should be absolute (i.e. not a mouse).

10) Start The Gimp.

11) Go to File -> Preferences -> Input Devices -> Configure extended input devices
You should find "stylus". Enable it and set it to "screen".

Everything should work pretty fine now (including pressure sensitivity).

TROUBLESHOOTING

NOTE: Some of these problems refer to ancient linuxwacom and kernel versions. Therefore, the proposed solutions may not be valid anymore. If so, please post on this thread.

PROBLEM: There's no /dev/input/tablet-*.
SOLUTION: If you just added the udev rule, try rebooting your system. If that fails, try running:
# ls /dev/input/
# wacdump /dev/input/eventN
where N is a number. There are usually several /dev/input/eventN files. You are trying to find the event file which applies to your tablet. If such a file does exist, then you most likely have a problem in the udev rules. Double check your udev rule for errors.
WORKAROUND: If udev still isn't setting /dev/input/tablet-X for you and you've identified the /dev/input/eventN file assigned to your tablet, replace in the "InputDevice" section the line:

Code:

Option "Device" "/dev/input/tablet-X"

with:

Code:

Option "Device" "/dev/input/eventN"

PROBLEM: X.org won't start any more after you run wacomcpl.
WORKAROUND: rm -f ~/.xinit*

PROBLEM: If you've got a PS/2 mouse and the Volito2 tablet is plugged in at boot, the mouse may not work any more. This happened to me, while everything worked just fine for another guy.
WORKAROUND 1: Always boot your system with your tablet unplugged.
WORKAROUND 2: Switch to a USB mouse.

PROBLEM: Mouse doesn't work any more.
SOLUTION: Make sure it's referenced as /dev/input/mice in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf and not /dev/input/mouseX.

PROBLEM: I can't make it work and I've got some weird input device installed (i.e. other tablets, touchscreens, special mice, etc.)
WORKAROUND: Try removing the drivers for the other device both from the kernel and from xorg.conf and see if it works.

PROBLEM: I attach the tablet, but positioning is completely off.
WORKAROUND: Have your tablet already attached when you start X.

PROBLEM: Both the mouse and the stylus work fine on the desktop. However, I can't use the mouse to draw in Gimp any more, until I move the stylus. Moving the stylus makes the mouse work again in Gimp until next X reboot.
SOLUTION: This problem disappeared for me after I upgraded to linuxwacom-0.7.8_p2 and gimp-2.3.19.

PROBLEM: Mouse doesn't work any more in Gimp, at all.
WORKAROUND: remove the entries in xorg.conf about "eraser", "cursor" and "pad", leaving only "stylus". You should fall back to the previous point.

PROBLEM: Absolute positioning works fine, but pressure sensitivity doesn't.
SOLUTION: Check out /var/log/Xorg.0.log. This happened to me because I didn't specify the correct device for the Wacom tablet.

PROBLEM: It still doesn't work.
TROUBLESHOOTING:1) Make sure you're running the latest available version of the kernel, xorg-x11 and linuxwacom.
2) stop X and see if # wacdump /dev/input/tablet-* works. If it doesn't, it's a kernel problem.
3) make sure you're using the same version of the kernel and X drivers for the wacom tablet.
4) try removing all input devices from /etc/X11/xorg.conf but your keyboard and your Wacom tablet.
5) use the command lsmod to find out if the module "wacom" has been correctly loaded.
6) read the output of the dmesg command for insight. In particular, try
# dmesg | grep -e "[Ww]acom"
You should get something like this:

PROBLEM: Sometimes, when my tablet is plugged in but I'm not using it, my mouse refuses working, jumping at weird places on the screen.
EXPLANATION: It's not a driver problem, it's a physical one! It took me months to figure out. It's because your wacom pen tip is resting too close to the pad, thus giving input signals that make the mouse cursor rocket to the top-right angle of your screen (or top-left, depending how you placed the pen).
SOLUTION: put your pen somewhere else when you're not using it. Like, among other pens. :P_________________Kyrie, Ignis Divine, Eleison ~ Elfen Lied

Last edited by CRV§ADER//KY on Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:29 pm; edited 45 times in total

Great! I followed your HOWTO and had no problems, everything works, thanx!

I deleted the following lines from the xconfig tough

Quote:

InputDevice "cursor" "WacomCursor"
InputDevice "eraser" "WacomEraser"

and the corresponding InputDevice sections because volito2 does not have an eraser and I dont know what is a cursor for this tablet, and everything works fine. So the stylus part is needed only. But delete them only after you have a successful instalation!

Thanks for the howto. I have some questions... Has anybody made this work with amd64 kernel 2.6.14-gentoo-r2? Can I still apply the provided patch?
I did so and can see my device as /dev/input/event3...

I'm currently at work so I can't check my exact settings, but I did a lot of messing around yesterday night (currently at linuxwacom 0.7.1-beta1) and may have screewed up in the process ?!? It once was at event0

Thank you very much for the quick replay! I'll check this afternoon and let you know if it solved my probs or post additional info...

udev will then automatically create a link from the right event device to /dev/input/wacom which you can use in your configuration files. I found this rule in the linuxwacom howto, maybe you should also add that to this gentoo Wacom Volito2 howto.

I just bought a Wacom Volito2, and I'm going to follow this howto, but I noticed that Volito2 aren't available until 0.7.1. This howto provides instructions for 0.7.0, I can be sure that my tablet will work?_________________Giingo. No por mucho madrugar verás a las vacas en camisón

Membris-Khan, Volito2 support is available since 0.70
Does
#wacdump /dev/input/wacom
(or eventX if you didn't follow furanku's advice) work?

Code:

# wacdump /dev/input/event5

That works for me (it listens pen and buttons) but I though that usb-hid as device driver wasn't good sign. So, I'm doing things well?_________________Giingo. No por mucho madrugar verás a las vacas en camisón

First of all, you forgot to remove cursor and eraser from description on step 12

I followed the howto, wacdump works fine, xorg.conf configured OK, but GIMP says there isn't any extended input device (Inkscape says the same).

I'm going to restart the howto, but I believe that I followed correctly all steps

edit: I restarted howto and now it works fine for me thank you very much!

I'm going to write a spanish volito2 howto this week, but since I want to make it as "timeless" as possible, I want to ask you some questions. Can I re-publish this patch&ebuild (if both are written by you)? Obviously, I'll give credit to you _________________Giingo. No por mucho madrugar verás a las vacas en camisón

I'm going to write a spanish volito2 howto this week, but since I want to make it as "timeless" as possible, I want to ask you some questions. Can I re-publish this patch&ebuild (if both are written by you)? Obviously, I'll give credit to you

You just needed to read it... somehow, it is created twice, once for usb_ohci and once for usb_ehci.
Try replacing /dev/input/wacom with /dev/input/event3 in your xorg.conf._________________Kyrie, Ignis Divine, Eleison ~ Elfen Lied